Advance HE Principal Fellowship HEA

Principal Fellowship is one of four categories of HEA Fellowships offered through Advance HE. The LTA supports colleagues to submit applications for categories Associate Fellow, Fellow and Senior Fellow through the university scheme ALPINE. For colleagues interested in submitting an application for Principal Fellowship, the LTA provide funding for a small number of places each academic year, as well as application writing and mentoring support, for colleagues to submit a direct application to Advance HE. 

Principal Fellowship is for experienced colleagues who are working in Higher Education and able to demonstrate a sustained record of strategic leadership and impact on high-quality learning. Colleagues seeking Principal Fellowship must provide evidence of their practice against the PSF (2023) and alignment to the three Descriptor 4 criteria statements.

UHI colleagues should refer to the Principal Fellowship SharePoint pages for more information.

Recent Principal Fellowship Recognitions

Dr Su Bryan was recognised with Principal Fellowship in August 2024

Dr Su Bryan, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Health and Environment

“I am delighted to receive the recognition of Principal Fellowship with Advance HE, which recognises commitment and contribution to student learning, as well as influence as a strategic leader in teaching. My application centred on my interests in finding meaningful ways to connect employers with academic staff and students, to enhance the student experience and to address regional skills challenges.  The application requires evidence of sustained impact over a period of 7 years, so it was a challenging but incredibly useful exercise to reflect on my own contribution, my personal development and my achievements with colleagues over this time. I felt I learned a lot about myself and my approaches in the reflective approach that was required to complete the application. I would encourage anyone who is considering making an application to carve out the time to do this, and to start collating material with plenty of time. With busy schedules, prioritising activities related to professional recognition can feel a bit self-indulgent at times, but I can honestly say that the process was a useful learning tool for me. The support of the LTA and my mentor, Alex Walker, was critical to my successful application and I am very grateful for the support. I now look forward to connecting, collaborating and sharing resources with the wider community of Principal Fellow through Advance HE to make a difference in teaching excellence.”